I’m glad to you’re reading this, because meaning you are interested in shopping for an Oud! The Oud is a captivating instrument with a long history. I’ll offer you some suggestions and suggestions when looking for your first Oud.
TYPES OF OUDS
You’ll first must know what kind of Oud you want to purchase, because there are several types of Ouds available: Arabic Ouds, Turkish Ouds, Iraqi Ouds, and Iranian Ouds.
ARABIC OUDS
Arabic Ouds are by far the most popular Ouds available. You can see these used in the music of North Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, and the Levant. They’re known for a nice, deep, round sound, with very low sustain. Low sustain just isn’t a bad thing, in reality, it is choosered sound. There’s a very wide range of quality that can be found in this category, from ornamental trinkets to exquisite professional instruments.
TURKISH OUDS
Turkish Ouds are quite a unique animal. Turkish Ouds are brighter as they are tuned at a higher pitch than Arabic Ouds. They are also built with a thinner soundboard creating a lighter and brighter tone and timbre. A pal of mine who builds Ouds will even sand down his soundboard a little bit just to get more of that Turkish sound. Additionally they try to reduce the quantity of bracing used on the soundboard so it resonates more. The Turkish Oud is no less than an inch shorter in scale than the Arabic Ouds as well. The nut is almost non existent creating a tone with more buzz. The difference between Arabic Ouds and Turkish Ouds is very similar to the difference between Classical guitars and Flamenco guitars.
Turkish Ouds could also be a great guess for a beginner because the action will likely be low making it straightforward to play. Also, cheap factory built models are typically quite trustworthy and well-built.
IRAQI OUDS
Iraqi Ouds may have a floating bridge which means that the bridge just isn’t mounted to the wood face. This also gives a brighter tone. The bridge is similar to the development of some Mandolins and Irish Bouzoukis, the place the strings are hooked up to the bottom of the instrument instead of the bridge. This is the desirered Oud of Nasser Shamma and Munir Bashir. I personally love the sound of those Ouds, however some folks don’t like them either. It all is determined by your preference and the sound that you simply want to make.
IRANIAN OUDS
Iranian Ouds are once more a very different breed. They’re called Barbat in Farsi and are the end result of research into the design of historical Ouds in Middle Eastern art and literature. Apparently, the Oud was an necessary instrument in Iran however for some reason fell out of use in Iran and have become an important instrument in Arab music. The Barbat was reinvented in just the final 30 years in Iran by one specific master luthier. He made the body smaller allowing more playability further down the neck. The bowl form is less wide, but slightly deeper, making it easier to hold and giving the bass notes a punchy sound. The bass sound is deep, punchy and robust, but the high end is bit weaker than Arabic Ouds. It fits well into the sound required for Iranian music and ensembles.
ACTION
Basically, when shopping for an Oud an vital part is making sure it has low action. Action is the term for the space between the fingerboard and the strings. If the strings are near the the fingerboard it will be simpler to play. This is important because it will make or break your experience and really dampen your mood, specially when putting in a number of practice making an attempt to improve your technique. An Oud with high motion will likely be hard to progress past the basics. Ouds aren’t built with truss rods like guitars so the neck just isn’t adjustable. It is better to see the Oud for your self to determine how the action is. In case you are buying on-line, ask for pictures of the neck from the side if you’re in doubt.
USE THE PROPER STRINGS
It is important to not put too heavy gauge strings on your Oud, particularly you probably have purchased a reasonable Oud. Oud strings of many types and gauges may be ordered online so don’t risk placing heavy classical guitar strings on it. Additionally, in the event you buy an Arabic Oud, don’t put D’Addario Turkish Oud strings on it. They’re meant for a unique tuning, and if you use that tuning it’s possible you’ll put more pressure in your Oud than necessary.
LOW QUALITY OR HIGH QUALITY
In case you are already a musician and know a thing or two about tone woods, then use the standards you know best when looking for a good Oud. Better quality Ouds will naturally use ebony tuning pegs, ebony fingerboard, and a solid spruce top, which may be made of two pieces of spruce glued and braced together. Other woods used for the bowl back are maple, walnut, palisander, and padouk. For those who can inform the Oud is made out of those woods, then you are stepping into more serious craftsmanship.
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